System of and method for warning about unauthorized objects attached to vehicle bottoms and/or adjoining areas

ABSTRACT

A method of and a system for warning about an unauthorized object attached to a bottom part of the vehicle includes storing images of vehicles or the data corresponding to the images in server means, examining a bottom of a vehicle by image producing means, transmitting from the image producing means an image of a bottom of a vehicle or the data corresponding to the images to the server means, comparing the transmitted images of the bottom of the vehicle or the data corresponding to the images with a stored image of a bottom of a corresponding vehicle or the data corresponding to the images, and producing a signal indicative of whether the bottom of the examined vehicle contains an unauthorized object or does not contain an unauthorized object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a system of and method forwarning about unauthorized objects attached to vehicle bottoms.

[0002] Millions of vehicles provide everyday transportation of peopleand loads. In some instances the vehicles are used by criminal elementsto transport narcotics, and in some cases bombs and other explosivedevices are attached to bottom parts of the vehicles for terroristsacts. It is to be understood that it is extremely important to examinethe bottom parts of the vehicles and to determine whether anyunauthorized objects are attached to the vehicles in this area. In orderto achieve this objective, at border crossings and other locationscorresponding officials use mirrors with which they examine some partsof a bottom of the vehicle to determine whether any unauthorized objectsare attached to the bottoms. It is believed that this approach can besignificantly improved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Accordingly, it is an object of present invention to provide asystem of and method for warning about unauthorized objects attached tovehicle bottoms, which avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0004] In keeping with these objects and with others which will becomeapparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides,briefly stated, in a method of warning about an unauthorized objectattached to a bottom part of the vehicle, comprising the steps ofstoring images of bottoms and/or adjoining parts of vehicles in servermeans; examining a bottom of a vehicle and/or adjoining parts by imageproducing means; transmitting from the image producing means an image ofa bottom of a vehicle and/or adjoining parts to the server means;comparing the transmitted image of the bottom of the vehicle and/oradjoining parts with a corresponding stored image of a bottom and/oradjoining parts of a corresponding vehicle; and producing a signalindicative of whether the bottom of the examined vehicle contains and/oradjoining parts an unauthorized object or does not contain anunauthorized object.

[0005] It is another feature of present invention to provide a systemwhich has server means for storing images of vehicles and/or adjoiningparts; examining a bottom of a vehicle and/or and transmitting an imageof a bottom of a vehicle and/or adjoining parts to the server meanswhich compare the transmitted image of the bottom of the vehicle and/oradjoining parts with a corresponding stored image of a bottom and/oradjoining parts of a corresponding vehicle; and means for producing asignal indicative of whether the bottom of the examined vehicle and/oradjoining parts contains an unauthorized object or does not contain anunauthorized object.

[0006] The novel features which are considered as characteristic for thepresent invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and itsmethod of operation, together with additional objects and advantagesthereof, will be best understood from the following description ofspecific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a view schematically illustrating a system of and methodfor warning about unauthorized objects attached to vehicle bottoms; and

[0008]FIG. 2 is a view showing a vehicle which is examined in accordancewith the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A system in accordance with the present invention which operatesin accordance with the inventive method has a device for producing animage of a lower part of the vehicle, in particular a bottom and/oradjoining areas. The device is identified as a whole with referencenumeral 1. This device can be a camera, a video camera, a scanningdevice or any other device which can observe a bottom of a vehicle 2 andadjoining areas to produce an image of the same. The device 1 can bearranged at a location which is convenient for observation of the bottomof the vehicle. For example it can be located in a roadway so that itsvehicle observing or examining part does not project upwardly beyond theroadway so as not to be damaged.

[0010] The system further includes server means which is identified withreference numeral 3 and can be formed, for example, as a computer andthe like. The image producing device 1 communicates with the servermeans 3 through any possible communication links, for example through acable, wirelessly, etc. The server means stores images of the bottomsand/or adjoining areas of all vehicles, in correspondence with theirmake, year, etc. The server means 3 include a comparison unit 4, for thepurpose which will be explained herein below.

[0011] In operation when the image producing device examines or observesthe bottom and adjoining areas of the vehicle 2 and sends the producedimage or data corresponding to the produced image, for example digitaldata, etc. to the server means 3, the comparison unit 4 of the servermeans 3 compares the images or the data stored in the server means 3with the image or thee data produced by the image producing device 1 anddetermines whether they correspond to on another or not. If they aresubstantially correspond to one another, this means that no unauthorizedobjects are attached to the bottom of the vehicle or adjoining areas. Ifthe images do not correspond to on another, the server means 3 producesa signal indicative of the presence of the unauthorized object on thebottom or in the adjoining areas of the vehicle 2.

[0012] The signal indicative of the presence of the unauthorized objecton the bottom or adjoining areas of the vehicle can be submitted to astation 5 which is at the disposal of a governmental official, forexample border patrol, etc. The signal can show the official, forexample on a display of his computer that there is no unauthorizedobjects or there is an unauthorized object on the bottom of the vehicleor the adjoining areas. The signal can be for example also in form of agreen light or a red light, so that when the signal is red light the redlight appears on an indicator adjacent to a gate, intersection, etc. toshow that the vehicle is allowed to pass or is not allowed to passcorrespondingly.

[0013] The signal can be also transmitted to an actuator which isidentified with reference numeral 6. The actuator can be a gate, abarrier and the like on the way of the vehicle. If the server means 3determines that there is no unauthorized object on the bottom of thevehicle and/or in adjoining areas, the signal opens the gate, moves thebarrier, etc to allow the vehicle to pass. However, if the server meansdetermines that there is an unauthorized object on the bottom of thevehicle or in adjacent areas, the actuator 6 closes the gates, moves thebarrier to prevent passage of the vehicle, etc.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the image producing device can be movable orturnable so as to more clearly observe the bottom of the vehicle or theadjoining areas. This is important to observe such areas as for exampleabove the wheels, beyond the brackets which support the wheel axles onthe chassis, etc. The device 1 for this purpose can be provided with amoving or turning means identified with reference numeral 7. Therefore,when the vehicle passes over the device 1, it turns so that the device“looks” into areas, which deviate from the flat surface of the bottom ofthe vehicle.

[0015] In accordance with the present invention, also a specificlocation of the unauthorized object can be determined, and specificallyindicated, for example at the station 5.

[0016] For example, it can be shown on the display at the station 5 thatthe object is located just behind the front right wheel.

[0017] In order to improve accuracy of determination of absence orpresence of an unauthorized object, it is possible to provide comparisonof a produced image by the image producing device of a vehicle of acertain type, with the stored image of the same type (make, year, etc.).For this purpose either identification of the vehicle type can beproduced by an official, or an additional device 8 can be provided whichobserves the vehicle to determine its type (make, year, etc.), andtransmits the data to the server means, so that latter compares theproduced image with the stored image of the vehicle of the same type(observed bottom of Ford Explorer 1989 with the stored image of thesame).

[0018] It will be understood that each of the elements described above,or two or more together, may also find a useful application in othertypes of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0019] While the invention has been illustrated and described asembodied in a system of and method for warning about unauthorizedobjects attached to vehicle bottoms, it is not intended to be limited tothe details shown, since various modifications and structural changesmay be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

[0020] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal thegist of the present invention that others can, by applying currentknowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omittingfeatures that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of thisinvention.

[0021] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by LettersPatent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A method of warning about an unauthorized object attached to a bottompart and/or adjoining areas of a vehicle, comprising the steps ofstoring images of bottoms and/or adjoining areas of vehicles or the datacorresponding to the image in server means; examining a bottom and/oradjoining areas of a vehicle by image producing means; transmitting fromthe image producing means an image of a bottom and/or adjoining areas ofa vehicle or the data corresponding to the image to the server means;comparing the transmitted image of the bottom and/or adjoining areas ofthe vehicle or the data corresponding to the image with stored images ofa bottom and/or adjoining areas of a corresponding vehicle or the datacorresponding to the images; and producing a signal indicative ofwhether the bottom and/or adjoining areas of the examined vehiclecontains an unauthorized object or does not contain an unauthorizedobject.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1; and further comprisingproducing by the image producing device images or the data correspondingto the images at different points of view so as to examine a bottom ofthe vehicle and/or adjoining areas.
 3. A method as defined in claim 1;and further submitting a result of the comparison by the server means toa station responsible for examining the vehicle.
 4. A method as definedin claim 1; and further comprising producing a warning signal upondetermination of presence of an unauthorized object.
 5. A method asdefined in claim 1; and further comprising the step of providing asignal by the server means for allowing or not allowing a passage of thevehicle depending on results of the comparison.
 6. A method as definedin claim 1; and further comprising determining and indicating a specificlocation of the unauthorized object on the bottom and/or adjoining areasof the vehicle.
 7. A system for warning about an unauthorized objectattached to a bottom part and/or adjoining parts of a vehicle,comprising server means for storing images of bottoms and/or adjoiningareas of vehicles or the data corresponding to the images; imageproducing means for examining a bottom and/or adjoining areas of avehicle and transmitting an image of a bottom and/or adjoining areas ofa vehicle or the data corresponding to the images to the server meansfor comparing the transmitted image of the bottom and/or adjoining areasof the vehicle or the data corresponding to the images with storedimages of a bottom and/or adjoining areas of a corresponding vehicle orthe data corresponding to the images; and means for producing a signalindicative of whether the bottom and/or adjoining areas of the examinedvehicle contains an unauthorized object or does not contain anunauthorized object.
 8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein saidimage producing device produce images at different points of view so asto examine a bottom and/or adjoining areas of the vehicle as well.
 9. Asystem as defined in claim 7; and further means for submitting a resultof the comparison by the server means to a station responsible forexamining the vehicle.
 10. A system as defined in claim 7; and furthercomprising means for producing a warning signal in the event ofdetermination of presence of an unauthorized object.
 11. A system asdefined in claim 7; and further comprising means for providing a signalfor allowing or not allowing a passage of the vehicle depending onresults of the comparison.
 12. A system as defined in claim 7; andfurther comprising means for determining and indicating a specificlocation of the unauthorized object on the bottom and/or adjoining areasof the vehicle.